FURNITURE TRADE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 303, 27 November 1912, Page 2

FURNITURE TRADE.

POSITION AT AUCKLAND. Auckland, Nov. 26. The following statement with reference to tlie position regarding the furniture industry in Auckland I has been supplied by the cni- | plovers: —" During the past few I weeks articles have appeared in ! various papers throughout the i Dominion in whicli Auckland fumi- ! lure employers have been charged •with competing unfairly with ! ;;i intern emtres. At a meeting of Jimuloyers in the furniture industry jv,-y strong exception was taken to hte' statements that had appeared f-om time to time. At the present lime the trade is working under on awa-d made bv the Arbitration Cmi.- dated April 10th, 1911. and expiring on April sth, 1911, so that it lias still 18 months to run. Lp to the present everything has worked harmoniously between the employers and employees, but the federation. of which Mr Moriartv, of We! li->gton. is secretary, wants this harmony disturbed. At the request of the employees the employers met them in conference a week or two since, but nothing came of it as the employers were convinced that no evidence had been placed before them to justify them in agreeing to break the award of the court. The Auckland factories are working under an award of 47 hoars pvt week at 1 3-1 per hour. In some of the southern centres the award n--1 .1’ per hour for 44 hours per week. But it was proved that tnw men in Auckland are recei.ing L'-l 1 . per hour for 47 hours, anti there was no evidence that those men were prepared to forego the 4 - prr week that would result in the I evrtniling of the hours. Evidence is also wanting to prove that Auck-land-made furniture is being sent south in exetete of that comm;:, north. The employers were imami moils in the position they took up at ; Li’C conference, and it is incorrect |to state that there is any tension ! i;:g between master and man i in the Auckland factories'